USMCVet Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 (edited) Hi Everyone - It probably seems as though I have quit - but have had some impediments in the way of medical fun and games and big events with the kids (my daughter graduated from high school last week) distracting me. But, I am still at it! This photo is of the Starboard side wiring bundle and my first pass at shading the stringers/longerons. Portside is underway and I should have that finished today. I have been slowly and methodically tackling the various engineering challenges (landing gear in the "landed and on the ground" set, building my exhausts to place in the nose, the seats, etc,) The strangest challenge was mixing the right shade of interior grey and Marine Corps Green for the exterior - you would think that that would be straightforward, but none of the paints out there correctly matches the shade in the period photographs! The picture I have attached is of a UH-34D that force-landed into our artillery position in January 1967 - that's the shade I am approximating. That thing had 34 bullet holes in the engine and it still made it safely into our perimeter! Dang strong plane! None of the crew were scratched and it flew out again a week later when they trucked another engine in and installed it. Note how the National Insignia and other markings are sprayed over to subdue them: lessons learned from the early days when the "Dogs" looked like neon signs. Edited May 31 by USMCVet Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 3 hours ago, USMCVet said: Hi Everyone - It probably seems as though I have quit - but have had some impediments in the way of medical fun and games and big events with the kids (my daughter graduated from high school last week) distracting me. But, I am still at it! This photo is of the Starboard side wiring bundle and my first pass at shading the stringers/longerons. Portside is underway and I should have that finished today. I have been slowly and methodically tackling the various engineering challenges (landing gear in the "landed and on the ground" set, building my exhausts to place in the nose, the seats, etc,) The strangest challenge was mixing the right shade of interior grey and Marine Corps Green for the exterior - you would think that that would be straightforward, but none of the paints out there correctly matches the shade in the period photographs! The picture I have attached is of a UH-34D that force-landed into our artillery position in January 1967 - that's the shade I am approximating. That thing had 34 bullet holes in the engine and it still made it safely into our perimeter! Dang strong plane! None of the crew were scratched and it flew out again a week later when they trucked another engine in and installed it. Note how the National Insignia and other markings are sprayed over to subdue them: lessons learned from the early days when the "Dogs" looked like neon signs. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rotorman Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 (edited) Interior looks good. How dirty was the interior? Edited May 31 by Rotorman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 The floors were always worn and dirty. Do you see the metal showing in the worn areas? Seats coming next! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HeavyArty Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 You may want to adjust how far down the cockpit rear wall comes. It is too long by about 5mm. There should also be a tunnel going from the cabin front wall through the cut out area to the ceiling that the prop shaft goes through from the engine to the transmission above. You can see it in the below pic. Here is how I handled that area. I also added the various ribbing and support on the front walls as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted May 31 Author Share Posted May 31 Thanks HeavyArty! Better now than later... I'll follow your lead. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HeavyArty Posted May 31 Share Posted May 31 A couple side views; before and after painting has started. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted June 1 Author Share Posted June 1 Thanks HeavyArty! I am just about to work forward to the cockpit section, so this advice is perfect. I will be folding all of my seats against the cabin wall except for the Crew Chief and the port gunner's seats. I am configuring mine to be a medevac bird, so they'd need the space for the casualties. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rotorman Posted June 25 Share Posted June 25 any update on this? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted June 25 Author Share Posted June 25 Miserably slowly: the combination of having the kids home for summer and the frequent tests/doctor's visits make concentrating on the build difficult. The photo is part of what I have been trying: I am likely to back off on the heavy weathering in the interior and I have some cleaning up to do with the wiring and the seats. As I mentioned before, I am going for folded seats, except for the seats for the Crew Chief and the portside gunner. I finished fitting the cockpit floor to its proper position in the nose and I have fabricated some of the tubes and boxes visible through the nose mesh. I am fiddling with painting the figures - I have two casualties to pose on the floor and I am also trying to make the crew figures as well. I have surgery tomorrow, so let's see what happens next. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 Keep up the good work. Hope the medical stuff works out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted June 26 Author Share Posted June 26 Thanks buddy - surgery today. Getting old is not fun! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11bee Posted June 26 Share Posted June 26 6 hours ago, USMCVet said: Thanks buddy - surgery today. Getting old is not fun! Starting to figure that out…. Good luck! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rotorman Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 How u doing? How did the surgery go? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 Surgery went well and I’ll find out tomorrow if it was successful.. I have been working on the ‘34 some more - this is one tough kit! Nothing fits - I have spent most of today trying to get the cabin ceiling/transmission floor to line up and the rear bulkhead to fit the cabin walls, etc. etc. I guess that progress is still progress, however slow. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 For those who are watching my medical progress (as well as my model's) I was examined by my surgeon today and the implants are well located and the healing is good/no infections. Now I will wait and see how effective this ends up being: it is meant to reduce the pain in my lower extremities thanks to a risky younger life (Vietnam, motorcycles, running, and continual falling off things - like down my basement stairs last week). The system they put in is designed to block things so I can resume normal physical activities (biking, for instance) - but I have to adjust the current for this thing if I lie down or it's "contact the Governor for a stay of execution" as the system ramps up the current! Yeesh. Meanwhile, I am working on an alignment system for the fuselage halves/ceiling/ rear bulkhead so I don't glue the dang things in crooked and the top of the transmission will aligned with the grillwork on top and level with respect to the model. Can't fudge anything with those long rotor blades. Pictures soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 You take good care Marine!! You got this! Ohh Rah!! Gunny Sends Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted July 30 Author Share Posted July 30 I am sure that all of you are growing cobwebs on your keyboard from my serious lack of progress on this model, but be assured that despite medical craziness, kids entering adult life at a frightening pace, and endless household issues (air conditioning went out, repairs, etc.), I continue. I realized that as my interior work is getting closer to completion, the issue of the exterior painting and its extensive masking issues would have to be approached. I finished the machine gun mounts and the gunners and Crew Chief's seats and it is apparent that they would be in the way if I installed them without pre-painting the exterior. I decided to do the main painting of the fuselage while it was still in its two halves, without those last two seats and the gun mounts installed, so I got ready to paint. Masking was annoying - had to keep the window edges and main fuselage opening clear and I had already painted the interior rear and transmission cavity black, so those slightly visible spaces would be "in shadow" when everything is completed. The "Marine Corps Green" paints - in acrylic and enamel - are too dark to my eye and by the photographs I have researched. The part I had to avoid were the photos of the latest restorations of the UH-34D - like the one at Quantico - are too light, compared the ones I saw in Vietnam. So, I had to mix my own to try to get it as right as I could, prior to all the finishing that will have to be done. I decided on the Model Master Acryl MCG with small amounts of white and even less yellow to drop it a few shades. It took a ridiculous amount of testing to finally settle on the shade I wanted and I used the Wessex nose as my test mule and the shade got closer. I used my primitive and ancient Paashe H-3 airbrush, as I always do when painting acres of model. My Dad gave me that airbrush while I was in the hospital in 1967 (he was a Commerical Artist and that was his old brush) the First photo is me, LtGen Lewis Fields and me, with the first test of that airbrush hanging from my traction rig in mid-1967. The next photos are of my painting in progress and the first semi-finished paint progress. Semper Fi Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rotorman Posted July 30 Share Posted July 30 11 minutes ago, USMCVet said: I am sure that all of you are growing cobwebs on your keyboard from my serious lack of progress on this model, but be assured that despite medical craziness, kids entering adult life at a frightening pace, and endless household issues (air conditioning went out, repairs, etc.), I continue. I realized that as my interior work is getting closer to completion, the issue of the exterior painting and its extensive masking issues would have to be approached. I finished the machine gun mounts and the gunners and Crew Chief's seats and it is apparent that they would be in the way if I installed them without pre-painting the exterior. I decided to do the main painting of the fuselage while it was still in its two halves, without those last two seats and the gun mounts installed, so I got ready to paint. Masking was annoying - had to keep the window edges and main fuselage opening clear and I had already painted the interior rear and transmission cavity black, so those slightly visible spaces would be "in shadow" when everything is completed. The "Marine Corps Green" paints - in acrylic and enamel - are too dark to my eye and by the photographs I have researched. The part I had to avoid were the photos of the latest restorations of the UH-34D - like the one at Quantico - are too light, compared the ones I saw in Vietnam. So, I had to mix my own to try to get it as right as I could, prior to all the finishing that will have to be done. I decided on the Model Master Acryl MCG with small amounts of white and even less yellow to drop it a few shades. It took a ridiculous amount of testing to finally settle on the shade I wanted and I used the Wessex nose as my test mule and the shade got closer. I used my primitive and ancient Paashe H-3 airbrush, as I always do when painting acres of model. My Dad gave me that airbrush while I was in the hospital in 1967 (he was a Commerical Artist and that was his old brush) the First photo is me, LtGen Lewis Fields and me, with the first test of that airbrush hanging from my traction rig in mid-1967. The next photos are of my painting in progress and the first semi-finished paint progress. Semper Fi Well, I had to dust the spiderwebs on my keyboard. I hope you saved some of your paint mix, once the fuselage glued together you still have to work the seams and work out the lost rivets detail from sanding. Glue your windows now and mask them. Sorry to say this but painting the fuselage now at this step of the build is counterproductive to your work. I do like your paint mix of the Marine green. Did u paint the nose already as well? Create a plastic frame from styrene over your windows so you don't pop them out during sanding session. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YF65_CH53E Posted July 31 Share Posted July 31 Great progress there Marine! Glad your on the mend and back on the bench. Absolutely love the pic of you and the LtGen, especially with the -109 above your hospital bed.🤣🤣 I like the color, its perfect because you mixed it to look like what you remember. Thats as authentic as it gets. Ohh Rah, Gunny Quote Link to post Share on other sites
USMCVet Posted July 31 Author Share Posted July 31 On 7/30/2024 at 2:52 PM, Rotorman said: Well, I had to dust the spiderwebs on my keyboard. I hope you saved some of your paint mix, once the fuselage glued together you still have to work the seams and work out the lost rivets detail from sanding. Glue your windows now and mask them. Sorry to say this but painting the fuselage now at this step of the build is counterproductive to your work. I do like your paint mix of the Marine green. Did u paint the nose already as well? Create a plastic frame from styrene over your windows so you don't pop them out during sanding session. Got it buddy - I do have many ounces of my MCG mix left but the alternative to pre-painting now was to have no way to reach the interior for re-painting after the halves were closed. Still have a lot more painting to do! And lots of bits to attach to the outside as I get closer to being finished. Did not paint the nose yet because I have to fit those damn screens next. Much, much more to do! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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